Rheostat



E. G. PERKINS. iRHEOSTAT. APPLICATION man Nov.26. 1921.

1,437,267. Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

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E. G. PERKINS. A

RHEOSTAT.

l APPLICATIONl FILED N0\l,26 192|. i 1,487,267. Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

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E. G. PERKINS.

RHEOSTAT.

` APPLICATION FILED NOV.26.I92I. 1,437,267. Panm Nov. 28, 1922.

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Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

EARL G. PERKINS, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

RHEOSTAT.

Application tiled November 26, 1921.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EARL G. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county ot' Mahoning and State of' Ohio, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Rheostats, et which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in rheostats.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a rheostat having two relatively independent resistance units, each adapted to be connected Awith certain parts of an electrical translating device in such manner that after the current has been supplied to one part of the device to the maximum extent afforded by one unit, the second unit may be brought into use to thereby permit additional amperage to flow to the apparatus in progressively increasing amounts while the maximum amperage controlled by the first unit is maintained in series with the apparatus without variation. Thatis to say, it is proposed to provide a rheostat having a plurality of resistance units so connected to a translating device, such for instance as an arc lamp, that after the maximum. amperage to the lamp hasbeen admitted through one unit, the controller of the rheostat may be so set or adjusted as to augment, progressively and uniformly, the amperage to the lamp over and above the maximum. permitted by the first unit to thereby increase the illuminating power of the lamp with due safety to all parts of the apparatus. Thus, a principal object of the invention is to provide in a. novel rheostat construction. two distinct power ranges, each controlling a certain part of an electrical device yet both acting in unison, `after a maximum has been reached in one power range. thereby rendering the apparatus effectively available as a current controlling and regulating means for any electrical devices, such as arc lamps requiring such regulation.

A further object is to provide a simple and practical arrangementl of the resistance units which facilitates their manipulation in the manner to produce the desired results.

VViththe above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination andv arrangement of parts, here-' Serial No. 517,974,

inater more :fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment ot' the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which, i

Figure l is a side elevation of my im.- proved rheostat,

Figure 2- is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a front elevation,

Figure 4t is a rear elevation,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure l,

Figure 6 is a diagram of the wiring and circuit connections,

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying the invention into eiect the instrumentalities involved for producing the desired electrical result may assume various forms and the details of arrangement may be also varied, but a simple and practical embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings from which it will be observed that the improved rheostat includes the front and rear frame members 1 and 2 which may be connected by a platform or fioor member 3 to thereby provide a support for the resistance units R and R, hereinafter referred to as the primary and secondary resistance units respectively andcarried by the removable frame F.

In connection with the resistance units R and R above mentioned. it will be observed that the said units are oppositely arranged within the frame Fand each consists of a pair of insulating supporting spools arranged in parallel relation and having l wound thereon the resistance element which` consists of a single length of wire formed into two coilsy respectively carried on the separate spoolsofthe said pair. In that way a wire of considerablelength may be utilized to permit of an increased range of resistance obtainable from the wire.

The members 1 and 2 may be provided with the insulating terminal walls 4 and 5, the former having mounted thereon a controller C and the latter carrying the line wire terminals 1" and N Vrespectively for the positive and negative line Awires L, or the two poles `ot the line wires, if alternating current is used.- In addition to the line wire terminals P and N, the rear insulating terminal 'wall 5 also carries the binding ter-l minals 6, i and 8, which, as Will be observed from .Figure 6, may be connected with a translating device., suoli for instance as a. solenoid-controlled arc lamp A.

The controller C essentially consists oi? thehandle 9 for manipulating` the contact arm l() over a series oit contact members or buttons lll, 12, 13, lll, l5 and 1.6 which are electrically connected to the coil Winding y? ot the primary resistance unit l at spaced intervals by the Wire connections lla, l2?, 13, la, l5ZL and 16a and the looped terminal bands 'l or their equivalent, as clearly shown in Figures l and 2 of the drawings.

ln addition to the buttons referred-to :tor the primary resistance unit R the controller.' also includes an insulating segment ll and a series of contact buttons l2', i3, 14:', l5 and 16 which are electrically connected by the Wires 12b, 13b, l5" and 15b with the coil s o1 the secondary or shunt resistance unit lli", is in the case oi the primary resistance unit the connections between the buttons l2-l.6 and the coil .s are arranged at spaced intervals and e connected with the coil by the terminal bands or loops T.

lt will thus be appr eut that ivnen the controller handle 9 is moved to shift the arm. l0 in the direction of the arrou7 (Figure 6), the arm Will contact successively Yith the buttons ll to l5, inclusive, Wiile its opposite end is swinging over the dead segment ll', and When one end of the arm l() engages With the segmental Contact lo the opposite end will engage with the button l2 of the set ot contacts belonging" to the secondary resistance unit lt. Upon the further shifting' of the arm the same Will engage the contacts l3-l6 in succession While the opposite end. is still contacting with the segment 16 of the lcontacts 'for the primary resistance unit R.

Referring; i'urther to Figure 6 of the draw ings, it 'vill be observed that the contact arm l() is electrically connected through the Wire l0 directly to the terminal P oiE the main power line, While the other terminal` N oil A the power line is connected iviththe binding` oost S by the Wire connection 8a, and the said bindingY post 8 is in turn directly connected with one of the carbons of the arc lamp ltivill be therefore apparent that the current divides at the rheostat, one pole or side going through the resistance units thereof While the opposite pole or side goes direct to the arc lamp or other translating device.

In the particular example illustrated in the present case, ,the arc lamp A is the trans'- lating device Which may be the electrical device to becontrolle'd by the rheostat. This arc lampA may be oi the type used in photographic Work and includes'the usual solenoid and armature element B. .ln this Well known type ot lamp the `cin:r.ent passes niet/,eer

through the solenoid, causing' the armature to be drawn into the solenoid under the inagnetic influence ci" the same, and the armature in turn is directly or indirectly connected with the carbone olf the are so that any nio ement ol the armature toward the solenoid will cause the carbone ot the arto separate.

ln the arrangement shown thereiore, the carbone oi the arc lamp A. rrnd the solenoid B are included in series 1with the primary resistance unit lt, and to that end the primary coil y) of that unit- Inay be connected by the Wire jp with the terminal G ot the rheostat, and said terminal is in turn connected through the Wire yf? With the solenoid, the l having connection with one oi ons oi the arc lamn t operation oi? the rlicostat, it will he aunar' ntthet the primary resistance unit lt uilhii the serve to control or ,govern the amper ce to the arc lamp il. through the c' f cus, includingthe solenoid Y Q appenahowcrei', `that after maximum amperage which it is advisable to pass through the has been supplied throujiji the prii Cry resistance unit llt, it

is desirable to supply additional amperage to the carbone oi' the lamp, and to accomplish this result, the secondary or shunt re'- sistance unit lit is brought into operation, which i ermits additional current to pass iositive pole or saine side oillv the from the i porter connection, on through the secondary coil s of the resistance unit n" direct to the carbone oli. the are lamp Without passing,T through the solenoid. The present arrange- Y nient readily makes this possible, as may be observed by tracing' the path ot the circuit through the coils ot the resistance units R and lil", as iiolloivszf From the switch arm l0 et the controllez' vvhich is connected. directly With the line ivire terminal l), the current will pass through the Contact ll. and its connection lln to the secondary coil lo ot the primary re sistance unit R. The connection between the button ll and the primary coil through the ,vire lla is such that the 'full resistance of the primary resistance coil is thrown into the line which includes the coil and its connection Z7 to the terminal 6. From this terminal. the current is led by the connection p2 to the solenoid B oiI the `arc lamp and thence through the connection 203 to the carbon et the lamp. lr more amperafge is desired the switch arm l0 may be shifted tothe button l2, when the section oi.: the primary coil j) between the connections lla and l2?L Willbe cut out in the Well-known manner, andl likewise morefamperage is desired the switch arm l0 may be moved to successive buttons l2, lh 1.4i: andl, each `time cuttingout more resistance until only the pre-determined resistance of the coil p remains in the circuit with the arc lamp through the solenoid B.

During the full movement of the switch arm 10 over the contacts 11 to 15, inclusive, the opposite end of the arm slidably contacts with the dead segment 11', but when the contact arm 1() engages with the contact segment 16 of the primary resistance unit R, the opposite end of the arm will contact with the button 12 oit' the secondary resistance unit R. Thus, the current will divide at the contact arm 10 and part will pass through the full length of the secondary winding s while the remainder is passing through the shortened or predetermined portion of the coil 7) of the primary resistance unit R. Upon turther movement of the switch arm over the segment 16 whereby its opposite end may successively span the distance between the contact buttons 13', 14

15 and 16 while still inengagement with the segment 16, a greater amount of amperage will be permitted to pass through the secondary resistance unit R through the cutting out of additional resistance in the coil s, whereby more amperage will flow through the connections s" which leads to the terminal member 7 of the rheostat. This terminal isA connected by the wire 82 directly to a carbon of the arc lamp, through the wire 793, for instance, as shown in Figure 6. In this way additional amperage is supplied to the carbons of the arc lamp without passing quently imposing a greater amperage on the carbons than could be distributed with the desired margin of safety and maximum efficiency through a single resistance unit and a solenoid.

In its primary aspect, therefore, the prescnt invention proposes to provide a pair of resistance units which may be selectively included in series with a translating device having a control element, such for instance as the solenoid B bears to the carbons of the arc lamp A, whereby a maximum amperage capacity may be supplied from the power line to the translating device through its control element, while at the same time when a greater amperage capacity is desired for the translating device, such ampere capacity may be available through a shunt circuit directly between one of the terminals of the power line and one of the carbons of the arc lamp. suitable resistance elements being interposed in said line, if desired and as shown, to thereby insure the safety of the apparatus, and to permit the solenoid contrcl of the arc to operate at maximum etliciency.

Withoutfurther description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily ap Y arent and it will, of course, be understood t at changes in the through the solenoid B, conseplacing the primary resistance unit in cir-k cuit with a source of power and a translating device, shunt connections for connecting the secondary resistan. e unit also with the translating device, and a controller having means V r'or progressively increasing the anipere capacity of the primary resistance unit and also for progressively increasing the ampere capacity ot the secondary unit, after the predetermined maximum capacity oit the primary unit has been reached.

2. A rheostat including primary and secondary resistance units, connections for placingthe primary resistance unit in vcircuit with a source of ower and a transw lating device, shunt connections for connecting the secondary resistance unit also 'withv the translating device, and a controller having means for progressively increasing the ampere capacity of the primary resistance unit, and also for connecting-the secondary resistance unit, and progressively increasing the ampere capacity thereof, after the predetermined maximum capacity of the primary unit has been reached.

3. A rheostat including primary` and secondary resistance units in combination with a translating device having a control element, a power connection with one terminal of the translating device, a main circuit connected with one of the terminals of the power line and including the primary resistance unit of the rheostat and the control element for the translating device and electrically connected with the other' terminal of said device, and a shunt circuit including the secondary resistance unit and electrically connected directly with one of the terminals of the translating device and with one of the terminals of the power line.

4f. A rheostat including primary and secondary resistance units, a controller, power terminals in combination with a translating device having an electrical control unit, an electrical connection directly between one of the power terminals and the translating device, a circuit including the other power terminal, the coil of the primary resistance unit and the control unit of the translating device in series with the said translating l treller e miti-ies and beard e?, he ether end, e, sep by step wir irelier switch carried by die swiseli bee/ril, a

pliireiiu" e3.' binding teriiiiiizils Carrie/i by the 'teriiiirifil board, a reiiiovzible freine Witli- .in the easirigyseparmie pris-i ery ariel second-- Tesis lee uriiiis' qzoiiiiefl Wirl'iiri the freine.; wire eeiineigftieiie l'iefgweeii the eenbe l1 resisaiiee units et jye peints. rlieostet including a frame, eppe- 'Jargged pairs 0i insulating supper*- s, e separare resistance element es- *itli efirh pair of speels :incl Cor.-

I single leiigll'i of: Wire formed respectively carried. upen the elle said pair, and mesas ier losing the eireuii; through the seeoiiil resistance element et 'lle point Where lie maximum eapaeiy of Jlie first resistance element is rei i', i rlieesei including; priiii ary and see endary resistance unies9 eonneetiens for placing the primer@ resistance unit in eircuiig with 'lie positive 0r @single pele of the sourfe of power and' atreiisligiiig device; eeiinefstioiis fer placing the seeericlary resistance unis in circuit Willi the seme pole of the same seuree 01'? pmi/e" and translating device;A and si Controller having ineens for .ery resistance unit, and also :fer prog ssiely increasing the arripere Loa.. piieiiyyv ev ille secondary ui it efer the prefie'zermiiied maximum rapeeiy ofthe pri.- 1 WL' Alies been reached.

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r sietaiice lie ainp edeterprim ery `unit has been reached.

iii testiiiieiiiy whereof liereiiire ellii; my signature in ihe presence of two witnesses.

v EARL G. PERKNS.

Vilinesses 1 ALICE li/IGGINN, VJ. A. SOBKE. 

